Metal inner casing for automobile-tires



J. B. MEADE.

METAL INNER CASING FOR AUTOMOBILE TIRES. APPLICATION FILED HAY 21, 1920.

JBMeade INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

" ATENT;

"lmssm" ans-me, or wome -Imam,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssm B. MEADE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVorden, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal Inner Casings for Automobile-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive internal tire armor that is susceptible of being quickly and easily fabricated and is of such flexible character as not to interfere with the resiliency and the cushioning capacity of the tire.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, hereby made a part hereof Figure 1 is a transverse section showing my novel armor as properly positioned between a tire casing and a liner.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of the casing removed to display the armor.

Fig. 3 is a detail in large section showing connected units compressed in the armor.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective illustrative of the manner of interlocking the units of the armor.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

In Fig. 1 I illustrate a wheel rim 1, a tire casing 2, and a protective liner 3 for an inner tube, all of which may be and preferably are of the ordinary well known construction.

In accordance with my invention I interpose between the liner 3 and the tread portion of the casing 2 an armor such as illustrated in Fi 1 and 2, the said armor being flexible in aIl directions and being substantially imperforate and therefore calculated to effectively protect an inner tube without detracting in serious measure from the resiliency of the tire.

My invention resides in the construction of the armor per 86, and in accordance with my invention the armor is composed of a plurality of rectilinear units 4. The said units 4 are made of an appropriate metal or alloy in the form of plates, and each plate is slightly concavo-convex in conformity with the curvature of the tire, the units or plates 4 are arranged in three series around A pncati namna 21, 1920. serial N .asa,1s.,i. Y

1mm. 11mm casmo. FOR aurouomn-EfrmEsL- I specification of Letters Patent. 8;

the are; the'units or plates of the side series being provided with hooks 5 at their inner ends, and each unit of the longitudinal central series is provided with a hook 6 and with three apertures 7, 8 and 9; the said apertures being of rectilinear configuration, and the end apertures 7 and 8 being connected with one edge of the unit or plate by channels 10 while the aperture 9 is connected with one end of the unit or plate by a channel 11 which, by preference intersects one of the channels 10 as shown in Fig. 4.

By reason of the construction described it will be readily apparent that the units 4 of the two side series may be expeditiously and easily connected to the units 4 of the longitudinal central series; it being simply necessary as a condition precedent to the interlocking of the units to position the hook 5 of one side unit as shown in Fig. 4, and slip the said hook through one channel 10 and on one end of the longitudinal central unit until the hook is co-incident with the adjacent aperture 7 in the longitudinal central unit whereupon the side unit will be free to swing or flex on the longitudinal central unit. To connect the units 4 of the longitudinal central series together it is simply necessary to slip the hook 6 of one unit endwise through the channel 11 of an adjoining unit until said hook 6 is co-incident with the aperture 9 of said adjoining unit whereupon the hook 6 may be rocked into engagement with and flexibly connected to the outer wall of the aperture 9 which wall is rounded somewhat in cross section as illustrated.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an armor constructed in accordance with my invention may be quickly and easily fabricated of a collection of the units 4, and that when interposed between the casing 2 and the liner 3 the said armor will be possessed of a high degree of flexibility in all directions and being also practically imperforate will effectively prevent puncture or and concavo-convex'in form and provided on one side edge with a curvilinear hooka-ndbeing provided ad'acent to its other side edge and its ends wit rectangular apertures and 7 being further provided in its inner side with channelseach, of which extends from an aperture to the margin of the unit," and two 'side series of units each of which is rectangular and concavo-convex in form and each of which is provided at its inner end with 10 a curvilinear; hook the hooks of the, lon tudial central units being disposed in t e side" apertures LOfIfldjOiDiIlg units, and the "books of the sideseries of units bein disposed in the end apertures of thelongitudi- 15 

